Air Tanzania’s Covid-19 pandemic response

The global air industry has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and the locking of international borders, but challenging times call for creative solutions. Air Tanzania has adapted to the situation and has found new ways to serve its customers and communities in Tanzania. We have been working non-stop to arrange cargo-only flight options for our customers, repatriation flights to return Tanzanian citizens stranded abroad by lockdown measures and to return with an ever-growing schedule of domestic flights to support our people and keep them connected. Here Twiga takes a closer look at how Air Tanzania has adapted to the crisis.

REPATRIATION FLIGHTS

During the Covid-19 outbreak, Air Tanzania has been called on to carry out the government’s repatriation policy and bring back stranded Tanzanian nationals from Mumbai on two occasions.

After returning 249 passengers in May, Air Tanzania again sent on June 15 its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, guided by Chief Pilot Raymond Musingi, to Mumbai to pick up another 202 Tanzanian nationals stuck in India. We worked in collaboration with the Honourable High Commissioner of India to Tanzania Sanjiv Kohli to organise the flights and get all the passengers safely back to Julius Nyerere Airport and their families.

Air Tanzania also ran three charter repatriation in May to the Comoros to return our brothers stuck here in Tanzania to their homes and families. In total, 364 passengers were flown home over the three flights.

CARGO SERVICES

During the outbreak, Air Tanzania has been making use of its grounded aircraft amid the global drop in passenger volume by providing air cargo services to all its domestic destinations to keep supply chains and business moving.

This valuable service has proved most crucial of all in maintaining supplies to the Comoros, which is not self-sufficient in food production. Air Tanzania has safely delivered cargo to the Comoros every Thursday since the Covid-19 crisis began.

The service has been operated by the Air Tanzania fleet’s Bombardier Q400, which has the capacity to carry up to seven tons of cargo. These cargo flights to Hahaya airport on Ngazidja will provide immense relief.

For more information on our cargo services, call 0735 787225 or 0759 646454.

ENSURING SAFETY FOR PASSENGERS ONBOARD OUR FLIGHTS

You do not need to worry about your safety on board. All our planes are fitted with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) modern air filtration system that purifies the cabin air every two to three minutes, getting 99.9 per cent rid of bacteria and the Covid-19 virus.

Our aircraft are also cleaned after each and every flight using a high-grade registered disinfecting product tested to be effective against viruses. Air Tanzania cabin crew are all kitted out with PPE and are provided with pre-packaged cleaning supplies, such as gloves, disinfectant and cleaning wipes, to ensure cleanliness is maintained throughout the flight.

All these measures will guarantee you have a comfortable and safe flight to your destination.

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS ARE BACK

June saw the return of daily flights between Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Bukoba and between Dar, Mbeya and Dodoma. There are also now flights from Dar to Mpanda and Tabora every Tuesday and Thursday. Those days also see flights between from Iringa to Mbeya. To book a place on any of these flights, go to www.airtanzania.co.tz or call 0800 110045.